Library Technology Reports Reviews Integrated Library Systems
Reviews of:
- "Integrated Library System Software for Smaller Libraries" by Anne A. Salter. Library Technology Reports, vol. 39, no. 3, May/June 2003, 64 pp.
- "Model RFP for Integrated Library System Products" by Nicole Waller. Library Technology Reports, vol. 39, no. 4, July/August 2003, 72 pp.
Are you buying a new library system? If so, you may be interested in either or both of two recent issues of Library Technology Reports. In general, system vendors serving smaller libraries focus on PC or Mac installations, typical of many public, school, or special libraries; vendors serving larger libraries focus primarily on academic and research institutions with corresponding sophisticated information technology infrastructures. However, these distinctions can be fuzzy, and both issues provide thoughtful considerations for small and large libraries alike.
The May/June issue has an excellent discussion of issues facing the small library - particularly the small library within a multifaceted institution. To prepare for the publication of this issue of LTR, the author surveyed three types of libraries: museums, historical societies, and state archives. Although the target group did not include hospital libraries, there is considerable relevance to the hospital library setting. The issue includes a good discussion of planning for a new automated system, including a checklist of questions to help guide product selection, a step-by-step planning approach, and a discussion of the hidden costs of an ILS. The issue concludes with an appendix giving profiles of sixteen library software products, their vendors, the type of library for which the product was developed, the operating system(s), URLs, and a brief description of the product and its functionality. Four of these products are targeted towards special libraries: Concourse (Book Systems, Inc.), Eos Q Series, (Eos International), Eos Glas (Eos International), and Softlink Liberty 3 (SoflinkAmerica, Inc.).
The July/August 2003 issue describes the use of the Request for Proposal (RFP) to guide the acquisition of an integrated library system (ILS), a process typically used for a larger library, but increasingly being used by smaller libraries joining together for joint purchases. This issue examines a number of questions. What is an RFP and what should it include? What is the state of ILS technology in 2003? Where can you get sample RFPs that you can edit rather than reinventing the wheel? What are some of the factors to consider in planning for a new library system? The issue includes many web site references that prove quite valuable. For example, Library Technology Guides is a useful source for finding out which libraries have chosen which systems as well as including a comprehensive database of library system companies. The most useful part of this issue, however, is the chapter that describes a model RFP and its component parts with guidelines on how to write an RFP effectively. Other useful tidbits include mention of "The RFP Writer's Guide to Standards for Library Systems", published by NISO in spring 2003, that describes standards to include in your ILS RFP. The issue concludes with a discussion of newer procurement approaches, including the RFP with a separate questionnaire, the RFQ (Request for Quote), RFI (Request for Information), and even procurement without an RFP. The appendixes are quite interesting: the California Digital Library sample background paper and checklist, samples from staff requirements and an RFQ, a sample agenda and topics for consultation with existing customer libraries, a glossary, and a list of selected sources.
PSRML subscribes to Library Technology Reports and makes issues available on short-term loan to staff of network member libraries in the Pacific Southwest Region. Please contact Karen Ricard if you would like to borrow a copy. More information about Library Technology Reports is available at https://www.techsource.ala.org/.